King Belshazzar Watches A Hand Write His Doom On The Wall (Daniel 5)
Posted: Saturday, December 10, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Belshazzar was the last king of the Babylonian Empire. He succeeded his father, King Nebuchadnezzar. During his reign, the Jews were already in Babylonian captivity. This episode is found in the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel. All governments of nations were, from the beginning, ordained of God. That does not mean He purposely chose them and finagled their existence. He did, however, expect His followers to subject themselves to whatever government was in control.
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (Daniel 5:1-4 KJV)
Notice the last sentence in the above quotation. Nothing in the Old or New Testaments has received greater condemnation from God than that of worshiping false gods. He also firmly condemns a haughty and proud attitude. So, little did Belshazzar realize that he was performing his own death march. But read what comes next:
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. (Daniel 5:5-6 KJV)
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. (Daniel 5:7-9 KJV)
The Queen then came in and told the king of Daniel and how he had been able to interpret dreams and other such divining. And when Belshazzar sent for him, he made him the same offer that he had made his magicians and wise men. When Daniel heard the offer the king had made him, here is his reply:
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. (Daniel 5:18-31 KJV)
Daniel is one of the very few characters in the bible of whom God spoke with deep affection. In Daniel 9:23 we find an angel with a message for Daniel who tells him, “for thou art greatly beloved.” He was young man, actually just a boy, when they were taken into captivity, but he was never afraid of his captors. This is shown again in his response to the king above. Those kings who had complete power, could have had him beheaded on the spot for telling him such straightforward facts. He was, at one point, ordered not to pray to his God, but he continued to pray to Him three times daily. For this, he was thrown into a den of lions, but God intervened so they did no harm to him. We all need to have the faith and intent to serve God as this young man did.
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